Monday, November 19, 2007

Praying For Reign.

JULIA GILLARD: Working families didn't used to confront WorkChoices, they didn't used to be at risk of walking up to their workplace to be confronted by an Australian Workplace Agreement, which takes away basic conditions. Working families didn't used to be confronted by walking into a workplace and not knowing if this is the day they are going to be unfairly dismissed. Working families didn't used to be confronted with the pressure of wondering to themselves whether the kids would ever be able to afford a home of their own as housing affordability in this nation has plummeted, and working families are right to be concerned about the shape of our health and education services, and to be heartily sick of the Howard Government playing the blame game with State Labor governments.

Julia Gillard is a lawyer and a politician, although these things seem to be the same in a lot of cases these days.

Is it just me, or is this comment from last Sunday's Insiders one of the most appalling things ever from a grammatical point of view?

While I am praying for God to lead the election as He will (preferably with John Howard and the Libs winning again), I am struck by what a load of old cobblers her comment is.

Comrade Gillard, could you please try and speak english for a change? Working families never used to.... fill in the space....

Oh, and please spare me the crap about "working families". You bandy the phrase about with no qualifications. Is that a family with one working parent or two? What about one on disability with the other caring for them and the kids? What about single parent families? And is that a working family on a combined income of $40k or $400K?

Thanks nilk. Only three years? Forgive me for sounding so astounded, here in Europe we're all used to four-year terms.

I fear I'm a bit down. I just read Gates of Vienna. Some inconvenient truths about Europes demographic decline. It's true. We're dying out. Luckily, I have two yound children and am trying to persuade my wife for a third.